MLB.com's Carrie Muskat has been covering Major League Baseball since 1981 and is the author of "Banks to Sandberg to Grace: Five Decades of Love and Frustration with the Cubs." You can follow her on Twitter @CarrieMuskat. Here, she blogs about the Cubs.

5/2 Sunday lineup & Ramirez

Lou Piniella decided to give Aramis Ramirez a day off Sunday, starting Chad Tracy at third base in the finale against the D-Backs. Ramirez is hitting .155 this season and is 5-for-25 on the homestand. The problem isn’t mental, Piniella said.

“I could see it become mental for a younger player,” Piniella said, “but older ones have to keep plugging away and keep working. He’s a veteran guy. The veteran player, he’s been through the wars before. I’m sure Ramirez has had spurts where he’s struggled. The only surprising thing has been the strikeouts.”

Meta

The following are trademarks or service marks of Major League Baseball entities and may be used only with permission of Major League Baseball Properties, Inc. or the relevant Major League Baseball entity: Major League, Major League Baseball, MLB, the silhouetted batter logo, World Series, National League, American League, Division Series, League Championship Series, All-Star Game, and the names, nicknames, logos, uniform designs, color combinations, and slogans designating the Major League Baseball clubs and entities, and their respective mascots, events and exhibitions.